Dear CHAPS member,
What a good start we have had to the year with an interesting talk on Madeira and a demonstration and talk on heathers (I’m inspired to plan a heather bed now – I hadn’t appreciated the diversity of size, colour and flowering time before).
Our last talk on the 17th of March was a change from that advertised as our speaker had to cancel at the last moment due to ill health. However, Sarah Bourne managed to arrange for Paul Patton to come and give us a very interesting talk on A Diet Plan for Plants and the Use of Essential Organic Material – there may be a rush to the garden centres to stock up on various feeds to encourage our plants to grow better.
Our next event is the Spring show on Saturday the 9th of April – hopefully the weather will be kind to us and we’ll have a good show of daffodils. Please have a look through your schedule to see if you can make a few entries. For those of you with children don’t forget to have a look at the children’s classes to see if there is something to tempt an entry.
Please don’t forget to sign up for our garden visits:
On Wednesday the 18th of May we have our day visit by coach to West Dean Garden https://www.westdean.org.uk/gardens and Weald & Downland Open Air Museum http://www.wealddown.co.uk/ . The price is £32.50 which covers the coach and both entry fees. We will be departing from the Village Hall at 9.45am.
On Wednesday the 15th of June we have an afternoon visit to Vann Garden, Hambledon, near Godalming http://www.vanngarden.co.uk/ . The visit will cost £7 including a short introductory talk. Please arrange your own transport and arrive ready to go into the garden at 3.00pm.
You can sign up at the Spring Show or let Sandra or me know by phone or E mail.
The Churt Fete is on the 11th of June and as usual CHAPS will have a stall selling plants. If you have any plants you can bring along for us to sell and raise funds please drop them off with Sue Styles in Old Kiln Close during the week before or bring them to the CHAPS stall on the day. Any unsold plants will be donated to Phyllis Tuckwell to help with their fund raising.
The WI will also have a stall at the fete selling books to raise money for the causes they support. If you have any good condition fiction or non-fiction books you can let the WI have please contact Marion Mitchell .
As you know CHAPS are hosting the Close Brooks Cup at the Autumn Show. If you would be willing to donate any fruit, vegetables or flowers to the CHAPS entry please contact Sandra Probert. In the week before the show you will be contacted to see what you have available and a selection will be made from the range available to make as good an entry as possible.
Happy gardening!
Maggie Wright, Chairman